Grain-measuring device



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

C. A. WEVER. GRAIN MBASURING DEVICE.

Patented July 15, 1890.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2,

C. A. WEVBR. GRAIN MEASURING DEVICE.

No. 432,347. Patented July l5, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A. IVEVER, OF CLAYTON, ILLINOIS.

GRAIN-MEASURING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 432,347, dated July 15, 1890.

Application filed January 28, 1890. Serial ll'oA 338,387. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A.A VEVER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Clayton, in the county of Adams and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grain-h/[easuring Devices; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. l

My invention relates to grain-measuring devices, and is an improvement upon the invention disclosed in Letters Patent, No. 308,001,granted to Frank M. Sommer November 11, 1884. In this invention a revolving or rotating' measuring-vessel divided into equal compartments was employed, said compartments being alternately brought under the mouth of a feeding-hopper, suitable means being employed for automatically rotating said vessel at the proper times. In the pressent invention I use a horizontally-reciprocat ing measuring device in place of the rotating vessel above set forth; and the invention consists in the several novel features of construction and new combinations of parts hereinafter fully described, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a grain-measuring apparatus constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan View of the same. Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view on the line :r of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a bot-tom view of the crownwheel.

In the said drawings, the reference-numeral 1 indicates an upright rectangular frame, in which the measuring-vessel 2 reciproeates. This measuring-vessel consists of a rectangular box divided by means of a partition 3 into two compartments 4 and 5. Upon the bottom side rails G of the frame 1, and upon the outer edges, are secured the upwardly-extending brackets 7, carrying the rollers 8, which freely revolve therein. Upon these rollers rest the bars 9, irmlysecured to the vessel 2. The lower portions of the ends of vessels 2 are inclined, as shown at 10, so as to form contracted discharge-orifices 11, which .are closed by the rectangular bottom'plates 12, hinged to the partition 3. A rectangular casing 13 is secured upon Vthe upper side of frame 1 and surrounds an aperture 14 at one 'end thereof in the top plate, and afeed-opening 15 is provided at the other end of said casing, by which grain is fed thereto from the elevator or discharge-spout of a thrashingmachine. A horizontal shaft 16 is journaled in bearings 17 17 upon the top piece of frame l, and is provided at one end with a sprocketwheel 1S, by which wheel the shaft may be rotated by means of a belt passing over a similar wheel connected with the machinery of the elevator, thrashin g-m achin e, o r other suitable machinery, and the portion of the sh aft which revolves within the casing13 is provided Witha spirally-flanged sleeve 19. A pinion 2O is secured upon the shaft near one end, and a loose pinion 21 turns freely upon the shaft immediately behind the rigid pinion, and is provided on its outer face with a half-clutch 22, which engages with a half-clutch 23 upon 'one end of a grooved sleeve 24, which revolves with and slides upon the shaft. A slide 25 slides in ways in a cross-piece 25, secured to the upper side pieces of the frame, and has a bifurcated arm 26 upon its upper side, the bifurcations of which engage the groove in the sleeve 24. The slide 25 is provided with two cylindrical sleeves 27, within which are carried the spiral springs 2S, the outer ends of which abut against projections 29 on the end cross-piece of the frame 1. The slide 25 is also provided with a downwardly-projecting lug 30 on its lower inner end, which engages with a lever or trigger 31, pivoted upon the vertical shaft 32, and upon its upper side is provided with a lug 33, engaging with ratchet-teeth on the crown-wheel, as herein- `after described.

Upon avertical shaft 34, having its bearings in cross-pieces 3G of frame 1, is secured the crown-wheel 37, having upon its upper face teeth or cogs 3S, the inner halves of which are cut away at intervals, forming spaces 39, the outer halves of these cogs meshing with the loose pinion and the inner half meshing with the rigid pinion, and the under side `of the crown-wheel is provided with a number,` of cams or ratchet-teeth 40, which engage with lug 33. These cams or ratchet-teeth are so arranged with reference to the teeth on the upper side of the crown-wheel that after the cam has forced the plate back, engaging the trigger with the lug on the plate, the crownwheel will still move enough, so that when the trigger is released from the lug the clutch may engage without the upper lug ou the plate coming in contact with the cam. The lower end of the shaft Si is provided with a crank-arm 4l, which works in a yoke 42, secured to the measuring-vessel.

The inner end of the casing 13 consists of a trip-board 43, slidable upon shaft 1U, which is provided with the spiral lf). This board is provided with a curved or rounded lug 4G, which engages with and operates the trigger 3l. The opposite end of the trigger is pro- .vided with a notch 44, which engages with the lug 30 and holds half-clutch 22 out of engagement with the other clutch 23. Upon the inner sides of the side pieces of the frame 1 are secured the strips These strips are so located and arranged with respect to the hinged bottom plates that they retain said plate of one compartment closed while itis being filled, but when full and moved out of line with the feed-opening allows the same to fall down to discharge the contents.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: The hopper is placed under the discharge-spout of the th1ashing-1nachine, grainelevator, or other machine or receptacle from wh ich the grain passes, and the sprocket-wheel on the end of the horizontal shaft is connected by a belt eitherto themachinery of a thrashing-machine or elevator, or to any other continuously-operating motor, and the spirallyianged sleeve will serve to distribute the grain evenlyin the casing, feeding' it into the compartment which is under the opening therein, and it will be seen that the spiral flange will force the grain againstthe sliding plate forming the inner end of the casing when the compartment is full, causing the curved side of the lug thereon to bear against the curved side of the trigger, which will release the notch or shoulder at its opposite end from the lug on the slide, allowing the slide to be forced inward, causing it to engage the half-clutch of the loose pinion, which, when revolved with the shaft, will revolve the crown-wheel, the rigid pinion fitting in one of the blank spaces until it arrives at the portion where the teeth or cogs are of their full length. Then the pinion arrives at the place where the cogs are eut olf, the ratchet-tooth upon the under side of the crown`wheel will force the slide back, bearing against the lug on its upper side, which will force the clutchwhccl out of engagement with the loose pinion, when the horizontal shaft may again revolve without revolving the crown wheel until the compartment which is under the aperture in the casingis full, when the grain will again throw the clutch into engagement with the pinion, causing the crown-wheel to revolve and moving the measuring-vessel by means of the cra-uk and yoke until another compartment is brought under the opening in the casing. As the bottom plates of the full compartment pass by the pieces in the sides of the casing, they are allowed to drop down and empty the compartment, andare closed by the return movement of said measuring-vessel.

Any suitable registering devieemay be connected with the apparatus which will register the number of compartments filled, the capacity of which compartments is preferably a known and used quantity-as, forinstance, one bushel or one-half of a bushel or other known or used measure.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is-' l. The combination of a reciprocating measuring-vessel divided into compartments, a vertical shaft having a crank-arm connected with said reciprocating vessel, a crown-wheel secured upon said shaft and having the inner halves of its cogs cut away to form spaces, a horizontal shaft, a pinion secured upon said shaft registering and meshing with the inner halves of the cogs and blank spaces of the crowirwheel, a pinion turning loose upon the shaft, and means, substantially as described, for revolving the loose pinion with the shaft when a compartment is full, as and for the purpose shown and set forth.

2. The combination of areciproeatin g measuring-vessel divided into, compartments, a vertical shaft having a crank-arm connected with said reciprocating vessel, a crown-wheel secured upon said shaft and having the `inner halves of its cogs eut away to form spaces, a horizontal shaft, a pinion upon said shaft registering and meshing with the inner halves of the cogs and blank spaces of the crownwheel, a pinion meshing with the outer halves of the cogs of the crown-wheel, turning freely upon the shaft and having a half-clutch upon its outer face, a sleeve sliding upon and turning with the shaft and having a half-clutch upon its inner end, and means for forcing the said sleeve toward the clutch of the pinion when a compartment is full, and drawing it back when another compartment has been presented, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a reciprocating measuring-vessel divided by a partition into equal compartments, a rectangular casing having an inlet-opening, a drive-shaft journaled longitudinally in the said easing and provided with a spirally-flanged sleeve, a sliding plate forming one end of the casing and sliding upon said shaft, bottom plates hinged to the partitions of the measuringvessel, strips secured to the frame for securing and actuating said bottom plates, and means, substantially as described, for rceiprocatin g the measuringvessel when the: sliding plate is moved outward from the casing, as and for the purpose shown and set forth.

et. The combination of a reciprocating measuring-vessel divided into equal eompartm ents,

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e rectangular casingseeured'nbove the same, e shaft passing longitudinally through said easing, u Crown-wheel secured upon u vertical shaft and provided upon its'upper side with eogs having the inner halves eut away at intervals und provided on its under side with ratchet-teeth, a crank secured to the vertical shaft and connected with the reciprocating Vessel, apinion secured rigidly upon the horizontftl shaft and registering and meshing with the innerhalvesof the eogs and with the spaces, :L loose pinion turning upon the shaft outside of the fast pinion and provided with it' halfeluteh upon its outer side, a grooved sleeve sliding upon the shaft and havin g @half-Clutch on the sliding end of the easing, substantially as described.

. In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereunto afiixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES A. WEVER.

Witnesses: v L. C. MARRETT, JOSEPH DE LEW. 

